TripAdvisor can be a tour or attraction operator’s greatest joy – or deepest pain. Whether you’re a fan of the platform or you want to take to it with virtual scissors, the fact remains that it is an enormously influential tool in how would-be travellers make their decisions. DMR Statistics cites that, as of June 2016, TripAdvisor had received 350 million reviews from all around the world. In fact, according to Tnooz, 95% of travellers will read those reviews before making a travel booking and they will read, on average, only 6-7 reviews to do so. That’s why it pays to make sure your operation appears high on the list.

So how do you improve your TripAdvisor ranking? We’ve looked at three ways to get your page looking and feeling refreshed in 2017.

1. Update your pictures

If time teaches us anything, it’s that fashion changes. What looked fresh and cutting-edge in 2016 will start to look as dated as double-denim next year. Your stunning pictures are the first thing a would-be customer will notice, so they need to be a contemporary expression of your operation.  We’re in the business of constantly creating enjoyable and memorable experiences for people in stunning surrounds, so getting some great recent shots of your tour or attraction shouldn’t be too hard.

And it’s not just fashion that changes: the market evolves too, and so should your proposition. For instance, if you are one of the many who are seeing an increase in US travellers to your operation, you may want to adjust your pictures for visuals that appeal to them.  According to traveller.com the challenge for Australian tourism businesses is to make Australia seem like an accesible destination for American families, rather than just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Instead of the glossy couples that Australian tourism campaigns have featured in the past, put up photos of intergenerational families (of all shapes and sizes) laughing, having a good time and reconnecting with each other.

It could also be as simple as remembering to showcase that awesome new feature. Has your new Jurassic Park-themed dinosaur attraction got a darling new velociraptor? Put it front-and-centre immediately! (At least until it destroys the whole damn park).

2. Create a schedule to monitor and reply to comments

You wouldn’t fob off a customer if you were dealing with them face-to-face. So, even though you may be separated from your virtual customer by time and space, the rules of customer service still apply online. In fact, it’s such an important part of your business that you need to set time aside each day to reply promptly and courteously to reviewers.

Another tip: even though a review may be negative, don’t take it as a personal insult; strive to be professional and polite at all times. See it as an opportunity to understand your consumers and improve your business. That said, there’s nothing wrong with injecting a bit of personality into your response and having a bit of fun where appropriate.

3. Encourage reviews

One of the easiest ways to get your ranking higher is to accumulate a lot of reviews, and to make sure they are great. You can encourage reviews by:

• sending a follow-up email after an experience thanking your customer and offering them the opportunity to give feedback
• encouraging them to do so at the end of the business day when wrapping things up
• directing them to your TripAdvisor page if a person has mentioned they have had an excellent experience

Making sure those reviews are positive is the easy part — just make sure your consumers are having a memorable time.

(And make sure all contact numbers and websites are up to date)

One last thing: failing to update your information is a rookie mistake. If you’ve spent all that time and effort creating great experiences and getting people to leave awesome reviews, you need to reap the benefits and make it easy for consumers to find out more about your business.

So, we hope that these tips have you well on your way to a memorable, highly-ranked TripAdvisor page. If you would like to know more about how can make sure your online presence isn’t getting lost in the wilds of the internet, you should download our SEO Cheatsheet today.